Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils 3/14/19, Prediction & Odds

Orange vs. Blue Devils Prediction

The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils are expected to get a huge boost tonight with the return of star Zion Williamson to the lineup. Will that help Duke get the cover as it plays the Syracuse Orange in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals?

Game Snapshot

711 Syracuse Orange vs. 712 Duke Blue Devils

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Spectrum Center at 9PM ET

TV: ESPN

Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page.

Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Blue Devils are an 11.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 144 points. As of Thursday morning, 67 percent of public bets are siding with Duke. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for up-to-date info.

Orange win without Battle

Syracuse advanced in the ACC Tournament Wednesday night with a 73-59 victory over Pitt despite the absence of guard Tyus Battle from the lineup. The Orange (20-12) outscored the Panthers 43-23 in the second half after trailing by six at halftime. Syracuse shot 23-of-53 from the floor, 12-of-27 from 3-point range plus 15-of-21 from the free throw line. Buddy Boeheim scored a career-best 20 points filling in for Battle in the starting lineup as he shot 6-of-13 from the field, 3-of-7 from 3-point range plus 5-of-7 at the free throw line. He also registered six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Elijah Hughes contributed 18 points, four boards, three dimes and two steals. Frank Howard accounted for 18 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Blue Devils fall at Tar Heels

Duke fell by a 79-70 score at rival North Carolina Saturday night to complete the regular season 26-5 overall and 14-4 in the ACC. The Blue Devils were outscored 41-30 in the second half after leading by two at the break. Duke shot 25-of-73 from the floor, 8-of-32 from 3-point distance plus 12-of-17 at the free throw line. R.J. Barrett led the Blue Devils with 26 points on 10-of-27 shooting including 4-of-11 from 3-point range plus 2-of-3 at the free throw line. He also accounted for 12 rebounds and four assists. Cam Reddish tallied 23 points along with five rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots.

College Basketball Betting Trends

Syracuse

The Orange are 3-2 ATS and 2-3 straight up versus the Blue Devils the last five meetings.

Duke

The over is 3-2 in the last five meetings versus Syracuse.

Prediction:

The Orange already have a 95-91 overtime win at Duke to their credit this season with Williamson in the lineup, although Reddish was out that night with an illness. Duke got some revenge at Syracuse on February 23 with a 75-65 win despite Williamson's absence. I expect the minutes for Williamson to be monitored a bit here, which could lead to the Orange sticking around much of the game or perhaps getting the backdoor cover. Syracuse is always a tough matchup in a tournament setting and this should be no different. Go with the underdogs to stay within the number.

 

NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: SYRACUSE ORANGE +11.5